Steam or hot-water circulating apparatus.



J. ROUQUAUD. STEAM 0R HOT WATER GIRCULATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED APE.26, 190 9.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 1.

I I I I I F Y c LuMmA I-LANOGRAPII co., WASHlNGTON n. c.

J. ROUQUAUD. STEAM 0B HOT WATER OIBGULATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.26, 1909.

1,008,285. Patented Nov. 7,1911.

Mums-sum 2.

JEAN ROUQUAUID, OF PAR-IS, FRANCE.

STEAM OR HOT-WATER CIRCULATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

Application filed. April 26, 1909. Serial No. 492,308.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEAN ROUQUAUD, a citizen of the French Republic, andresident of Paris, France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steam or Hot-Water Circulating Apparatus.

This invention relates to a steam or hot water circulating apparatus.With installations of known constructions which serve for the samepurpose, it is necessary to arrange the apparatus in such a manner,that, in order to insure a proper working, the hot water is sent into anexpansion tank which is placed above the apparatus proper, the reflow ofthe cooled water into the apparatus being nearly exclusively due to thedifference of elevation which exists between said tank and theapparatus. With such installations, the steam generated is simplycondensed in a suitable serpentine tube and the water of condensation issent back into the circuit.

According to the present invention, the entire quantity of steam whichis generated in the apparatus, it the plant serves for the circulationof hot water, or part of said steam if the plant serves for thecirculation of steam, is suddenly condensed so that a depression isproduced which is suflicient to insure the circulation by aspiration,which permits of placing the expansion tank even below the apparatusitself.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is shown.

Figure 1 represents a diagram of a plant; Fig. 2 representsdiagrammatically the apparatus for circulating hot water; Fig. 3 shows,on a larger scale, the manometrical float and the part of the tube uponwhich it is arranged; Figs. at, 5 and 6 represent in front view, planview and side view respectively a heating plant which is operated by theimproved apparatus for circulating hot water.

The apparatus essentially consists of a boiler a which is hermeticallyclosed and which can be heated in any convenient manner; this reservoiris generally completely filled with water. According to whether theapparatus is destined for circulating hot water or steam, there isprovided an out flow pipe I) passing into the reservoir and terminatingat a short distance above the bottom of the boiler, or a steam pipe (Zmounted upon the top plate of the boiler. Said pipes b and cl are eachclosed by a non-return valve 0 or 6 respectively. In the drawings bothpipes are provided; they have each a stop-cock f so that the pipe whichis not wanted can be shut off.

The feed water is contained in a water reservoir 9 which is preferablysituated be low the boiler a but which could be situated above the sameas indicated by dotted lines 9 Between said water-reservoir g and theboiler a an intermediate feed-tank h is arranged which is connected withthe water reservoir by the ascending pipe 11 having at its lower end anon-return valve 7:, and with the boiler a by means of an outflow pipe marranged at the top-part of the feedtank and by means of a siphon-pipe2, which terminates with one end in the bottom plate of the feed tankand with its other end in the side wall of the boiler a. The verticalpart 0 of said outflow pipe m which is closed at its end, has orifices,1) above and below which abutments r and s are arranged destined tolimit the move ments of the float which is mounted on said pipe 0 andconsists of a tube at (Fig. 3) adapted to slide upon said pipe and of abell 9 under which part of the steam generated in the boiler cancollect. Said float rests normally upon the lower abutment s so that theorifices p are not closed and the boiler a can freely communicate withthe teed-tank h by means of pipe m.

This apparatus operates as follows :-If the apparatus is destined forcirculating hot water, the outflow pipe cl has to be closed and theboiler a, feed tank It and pipes m, t, 2' are completely filled withwater; the float 'n is in its lowest position, resting upon the abutments. The boiler a is heated and as long as the water in the same is not atboiling point the float n will rest upon the lower abutment s, theboiler communicating witlr the closed intermediary tank 71, by means ofthe pipes m and t. The pressure in the boiler increases and the water isforced out through the outflow pipe I) and mounts above the non-returnvalve 0. The pressure at the ends of the siphon pipe t being equal tothe pressure in the tank It no circulation of water will take place andthe water contained in the feed tank It is only slightly heated. As soonhowever as the water of the boiler a has reached the boiling point thefloat n ascends owing to its buoyancy obtained by the collection ofsteam bubbles under the bell g and closes the orifices p of the tube 0.From this moment the aporization in the reservoir a becomes very activeand the water level in said boiler sinks rapidly owing to the expulsionof a large quantity of hot water through the outflow pipe Z). Thesinking of the water level in the boiler a below the orifice of thesiphon-pipe I. has no effect owing to the U- shaped form of said tubeand the equilibrium is not disturbed until the water level has reachedthe lower end of the float which now sinks and uncovers the orifice 79whereby the following phenomena are produced z- (e) Part of the steamwill flow out from the boiler a through the orifices p and pipe on intothe feed-tank h forcing out of said tank the water which thus flowssuddenly through the siphonpipe i into the boiler a, (Z1) the waterlevel in said reservoir consequently rises, the temperature of the waterin the boiler decreasing simultaneously so that the generation of steamceases and the float n, g sinks upon the abutment s,"(c) the steam whichhas flown into the feedtank It condenses in said tank and therebyproduces a sucking-effect whereby a small quantity of cold water isdrawn in from the water-reservoir 9 through the pipe 2'; ((Z) thisinflow of cold water into tank It completes the condensation of all thesteam contained in said tank and of the steam which still flows inthrough the orifices 7); (e) in this manner there is produced in thetank It and in the boiler a a vacuum the degree of which depends on thesteam pressure in the boiler and on the coldness of the water in thereservoir g. This vacuum sucks the water from the water reservoir 9 intothe boiler a, tank 71, and pipes m, t and 2' which thus are againcompletely filled with water. The apparatus is again ready and the samecycle of operations begins again. In this manner the heated water isforced out through pipe Z) at regular intervals, fresh cold water beingautomatically drawn in from the water reservoir g.

If instead of the outflow-pipe Z) for hot water the steam pipe (Z hadbeen opened and the water pipe closed, the steam generated in the boiler64 would escape until the water level has sunk to the lower edge of thefloat a, q when the apparatus will operate in the same manner ashereinbefore described.

This apparatus can be applied for a great many industrial and domesticpurposes where a circulation of hot water or of steam is required andparticularly for heating plants, washing tubs, with certain chemicalindustries and so forth.

Fig. 2 represents diagrammatically a plant for heating with hot water inwhich the apparatus according to the present invention is used. In thisfigure similar parts are designated by the same letters of reference asin Fig. 1. The furnace u is arranged in the boiler 0,; the outflow-pipeZ) terminates at its upper end in the expansion-tank i) from which thehot water is conducted by means of a canalization w to the variousradiators. The water returns from said radiators through the pipe :20 tothe non-return-valve 71:. The feed-tank h is arranged vertically abovethe boiler a and has at its upper end a blow-cock y, this cock is closedwhereby a certain quantity of air is imllllrlOllQCl in the apparatus andmore precisely in the upper part of tank 71. and in pipe This air-bufferserves to prevent the forn'iation of a circulation between the water oftank It and the water in the boiler a as long the float a, Q rests uponits seat 5', that is to say, during the greatest part of the heating ofthe apparatus. The float is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in the position whichit assumes when the temperature in the boiler a has just reached thelimit where the operation of said float begins. The boiler a is stillfilled with water and the float obturates the orifices 2).

Figs. i, 5 and (3 represent a heating plant according to the presentinvention, which does not re uire more s )ace than that offered l by anordinary fireplace.

I claim An improved steam or hot water circulating apparatus comprisingin combination with the boiler, the outflow pipe communicating with theconduit for the hot water or steam, a reservoir for the feed water, anintermediate tank between said reservoir and the boil-er, an ascendingpipe connecting said intermediate tank with said reservoir, a non-returnvalve at the lower end of said ascending pipe, an outflow pipe at theupper end of said tank connecting the same with the boiler and asiphon-pipe terminating with one end in the bottom plate of said tankand with its other end in the side wall of the boiler, the vertical endof said outflow pipe located in the boiler and having orifices, anabutment above said orifices and an abutment below said orifices, afloat con sisting of a tube and of a bell movably mounted upon saidvertical end of the outflow pipe between said two abutments,substantially as described and shown and for the purpose set forth. n

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

JEAN ROUQUAUD.

lVitn-esses DEAN B. Mason, ALFRED FREN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

